RESEARCH & EXTENSIONWith 70 concurrent session workshops, seven mobile workshops, posters presentations, a panel of federal partners and four fast-paced “ignite” presentations,

No 3758 bull June 2015

FROM THE DIRECTOR

Each year our farmers expect to be able to do two things plant and then reap their crop And each year nature and the markets throw a few curveballs Our job as Extension professionals is to be there for them with the tools and know-how to help our clients succeed This spring we saw record rainfall in parts of Arkansas flooding hundreds if not thousands of acres in the Arkansas and Red River valleys

During the drought of 2011-2012 our experts came together to offer producers the best possible guidance to deal with the situation Earlier this month we did the same hosting a meeting at Morrilton with our agronomists and a Farm Service Agency represenshytative to give growers a look at post-flood crop and risk management Later the same day we held a webinar for growers on navigating disaster and the new tenets of the Farm Bill

Once again our Extension professionals have risen to the challenge And while these disaster-related efforts may have gained media attention and a high

profile letrsquos not forget that as Extension professionals this is core of what we do Whether itrsquos helping avert a chronic illness through healthy lifestyle choices setting youth on the path to productive adulthood or finding new economic vigor for a struggling community this is our vocation and our key value to the public

Whether our education efforts make the 6 pm news or helps save a life in a quiet long-term way thank you for the work you do every day improve the quality of life for all of our neighbors

ndash Tony Windham

Miller County watches flood waters Miller County is

monitoring flood activity as flood waters from Texas and Oklahoma cause the Red River to rise Farmers have begun evacuating all cattle and machinery to higher ground Bowie County Texas which borders Miller County is already at major flood stage with predictions at 341 With all that water headed towards Miller County as of May 26 1130 am the flood waters show to crest at 307 which is moderate flooding for Miller County and could go higher

To give an idea of the severity of the flooding that is and will impact our area at 25 feet considerable flooding of lowland farm and grazing land takes place See FLOOD WATERS p 2

DIVISION OF AGRICULTURE R E S E A R C H amp E X T E N S I O N

University of Arkansas System

University of Arkansas United States Department of

Agriculture and County Governments Cooperating

Inside bull Lacy Drive 4-H Community

Garden Initative

bull ExCEL Corporate Challenge

bull Arkansas Hosts National Community Development Conference

bull Arkansas MarketMaker receives 2015 Innovation Award

bull Lonoke County 4-H Conducts Farm Safety Day

bull Emergency procedures practice makes perfect

bull E-mail news

bull Highlights of 2015 Support Staff Conference

bull Financial Services tips and reminders

bull 2015 Chi Epsilon Sigma awards

bull Benefits Corner

bull Grants and contracts

bull Personnel changes

DRTONY WINDHAM Associate Vice President for Agriculture - Extension and

Director Cooperative Extension Service

Lacy Drive 4-H Community Garden Initiative

The Jackson County Lacy Drive 4-H Club worked long and hard to decide on a community service project that will benefit the community where they live and chose to plant a community garden utilizing pallets to grow vegetables and flowers for the residents at the local Housing Authority in Newport Club members received donations from a local nursery to start their project Their goal is for Housing Authority residents to have access to fresh vegetables all summer

At work on the pallet garden at the Newport Housing Authority left to right Daveon Friar (planting vegetable) Malik Rucker Eli Alcorn Brendon Curry Isaiah Kendall DJ Friar (planting vegetable)Andrez Mallory and Kevin Friar

ExCEL corporate challenge Five businesses traded spreadsheets and reports for

archery and water balloons in a one-of-a-kind-corporate challenge at the Vines 4-H Center that left contestants with smiles and maybe a little weekend warrior soreness

For one morning in May corporate competition went outside to play as five teams took on the ExCEL challenge around the lake at the Vines 4-H Center

The winner of this inaugural corporate challenge wasarm Credit of Western Arkansas

ldquoWe have a great team here at Farm Credit Services nd the small group that participated was no exceptionrdquo aid Clay Lance assistant vice president for Farm Credit Everyone chipped in where they could and we all njoyed the day out of the officerdquo ext Year

Luke Nipper ExCEL coordinator for the University of rkansas System Division of Agriculture said the teams njoyed the outing

ldquoOne of the participants came up to me afterwards nd shared with me how much everyone on his team was ngaged with the activities and the team the entire timerdquo e said ldquoThe teams asked if wersquore planning to do the vent next year Wersquoll definitely do the event next year opefully with more teamsrdquo

F

asldquoeN

Ae

aeheh

The day after the competition Heather Savage vice president - Human Resources for Arkansas Federal Credit Union admitted to moving a little slower than usual but also said ldquobattle scars are awesomerdquo She told Nipper she was ready to field a team for the next year

FLOOD WATERS continued from page 1 Ranchers are moving cattle and equipment to higher groundAt 36 feet record flooding occurs All establishments and residences should be completely evacuated

The last major flood in this area was in 1990 where flood levels were at 3442 feet Thousands were forced from their homes near the Arkansas Red and Trinity rivers in Arkansas Texas and Oklahoma Thousands of cattle were drowned or stranded and thousands of acres were flooded This caused millions of dollarsrsquo worth of damage This yearrsquos flood is predicted to be close to or as bad

as 1990 Revisiting the flood of 1990 in Texarkana

Whatrsquos new in publications Find out at httpwwwuaexedupublicationsnewaspx

2 mdash Blue Letter

Arkansas hosts national community development conference

Outgoing NACDEP president Alison Davis passes the gavel to incoming president Stacey McCullough

Extension professionals from around the country convened in Little Rock May 17-20 for the National Association of Community Development Extension Professionals (NACDEP) annual conference

Stacey McCullough and Krishna Ellington were conference co-chairs Dr Donald Bobbitt University of Arkansas System president kicked the conference off by welcom ing attendees to Arkansas and highlighting the system and Extensionrsquos role in community and economic development

With 70 concurrent session workshops seven mobile workshops posters presentations a panel of federal partners and four fast-paced ldquoigniterdquo presentations the conference was action packed Keynote speakers were Dr Nancy Franz professor

emeritus Iowa State University and Pierre Ferrari president and CEO of Heifer International Attendees even got to sample ice cream made from Arkansas-grown edamame by the Division of Agriculturersquos Food Science department

Among conference highlights featuring Arkansas Extension professionals Stacey McCullough was installed as NACDEP president The 2014 Ballot Issues Education Program received the national Educational Materials - Team award

Mark Peterson Nita Cooper Amanda Perez Kristin Higgins Wayne Miller Zola Moon Stacey McCullough and Becky McPeake gave presentations at

the conference These individuals and Carla Vaught Robin Bridges Ray Benson Julie Goings Skip Armes Bobby Hall Joe Waldrum Kim Magee and Laura Connerly also assisted with other conference events

Arkansas MarketMaker receives 2015 Innovation Award

Arkansas MarketMaker (ARMM) httparfoodmarketmakercom received the MarketMaker 2015 Innovation Award at the National Value-Added Conference in Austin Texas on May 19 The award is sponsored annually by Farm Credit to highlight distinguished programmatic efforts ARMM was acknowledged for successfully building partnerships to assist grower marketing efforts across the food value chain

Successful partnerships have included the Arkansas Agriculture Department Arkansas Farm Bureau Arkansas Farmers Market Associ ation Arkansas Department of Health Del-Monte Fresh North America Mid-West Strawberry Growers Association Pulaski County Technical Collegersquos Culinary Program Subway Develop ment Inc Arkansas Childrenrsquos Hospital Arkansas Grow Healthy Study and numerous individual farmers across the state

ARMM is excited to highlight the use of MarketMaker to develop ldquostrategic partnershipsrdquo across the state and region ldquoWe have successfully enhanced our overall level of engagement with both growers and industry stakeholdersrdquo said

Dr Ron Rainey professor - Economics ldquoThe tool has allowed us to strategically engage and connect various partners across the food system from farm to tablerdquo

ARMM program impacts from the last year include increasing farm-to-school opportunities as part of the Arkansas Grow Healthy Study ARMM has increased farmer collaborations with institutions resulting in increased direct farm sales

Lonoke County 4-H conducts Farm Safety Day Lonoke County 4-H helped the Progressive Agriculture Safety Dayreg program celebrate its 20th anniversary by

conducting a Farm Safety Day May 15 at Lonoke Elementary School Over 120 Lonoke fifth graders rotated through 12 stations grain safety animal safety chemical safety equipment

safety bicycle safety electricity safety food safety disability awareness tornado safety fire safety gun safety and ATV safety Safety sessions were taught by volunteers from First Electric Arkansas Farm Bureau Arkansas State Police and the Cooperative Extension Service along with Lonoke County 4-H Teen Leaders Each session included a group demonstration or hands-on activity for the students

The 2014 Ballot Issues Education Program received the national Educa tional Materials - Team award at the NACDEP ConferenceTeam members included Stacey McCullough Kristin HigginsWayne Miller and Amanda Philyaw Perez as well as Kerry Rodtnick and Chris Meux (not pictured)

Dr Ron Rainey and Beverly Dunaway accept the MarketMaker 2015 Innovation Award during National Value-Added Conference award banquet Left to right Dr Marco Palma professor at Texas AampM and 2015 conference chair Beverly Dunaway Dr Ron Rainey and Stan Ray chief administrative officer Farm Credit Bank of Texas

3 mdash Blue Letter

For the past 20 years the Progressive Agriculture Safety Dayreg program has continued its mission of providing education and training to make farm ranch and rural life safer and healthier for children and their communities Lonoke County 4-H has been helping the program achieve this mission since 2013 The Progressive Agri culture Safety Dayreg program is now recognized as the largest rural safety and health program for children in North America with more than 13 million children and adults being impacted to date

Emergency procedures practice makes perfect Everyonersquos heard the phrase ldquopractice makes perfectrdquo That certainly played out on June 1 not only with our

planned fire drill in the morning but the very real evacuation we had in the afternoon ldquoOverall everyone did a great jobrdquo said Kyleen Prewett head of the emergency procedures committee ldquoWe had a

quick evacuation ndash with everyone out of the building in a shade under three minutesrdquo ldquoWe appreciate everyone following the proceduresrdquo she said

ldquoAs a result of the drill and the real evacuation we will be making some tweaks in how we do leave the building and we will keep you posted on those changesrdquo

In the meantime a few reminders bull Know your color and matching rally point bull If you are away from your desk and have to evacuate to

another rally point please tell the color captain at your location so we can account for you

bull Evacuation coordinators please be sure to sweep every room so no one is left behind

bull Stay away from the building during the emergency bull Stay on sidewalks or grass and out of the way of emergency

responders For those who are curious the afternoon evacuation was

sparked by an old toaster oven that is now out of service

E-mail news ndash Microsoft Office 365

Time for a Checkup IT reviewed the future product roadmap for Zimbra

and looked at other e-mail options based on todayrsquos business landscape As a result Microsoft Office 365 Exchange Online has been selected and approved by the Executive Team as the new e-mail program

Migration Timeline The initial kickoff meeting with the migration

vendor was held May 29 Tentatively dates to complete the conversion are near the end of July or early August The migration impact will be lessened by working with a company recommended by Microsoft experienced in Office 365 migrations

Initial Focus Extension stands to benefit from the Office 365 suite

of products but initially the focus will be on e-mail provided through Microsoft Office 365 Exchange Online Microsoft Outlook (online desktop and mobile) can all be used with Exchange Online

Training Multiple training venues will be available to ensure

users are able to send and receive e-mail as soon as the migration completes

Questions Concerns or Comments Please contact Sam Boyster (501) 671-2135

sboysteruaexedu or Diana Morian (501) 671-2341 dmorianuaexedu if you have questions

4 mdash Blue Letter

Highlights of 2015 Support Staff Conference One hundred twenty classified support staff from

across the state attended the 2015 Support Staff Conference May 14-15 at the C A Vines 4-H Center The theme for the 2015 conference was ldquoArkansas Extension A Lifetime of Learningrdquo

Conference sessions included presentations by faculty and staff from the following Extension departments 4-H Youth Development Family and Consumer Sciences Financial Services Information Technology Program and Staff Development Human Resources Affirmative Action and Communications Other breakout session presentations were given by officers from the UALR Police Depart ment J J Pitman director of the C A Vines 4-H Center and Hayse Miller of the Family Service Agency of North Little Rock

Mark Hagemeier associate general counsel with the University of Arkansas System gave a general session presentation on ldquoTo Friend or Not to Friend Legal Issues Associated with Social Media E-Mail and Our Computerrdquo Dr Tony Windham Associate Vice President for Agriculture - Extension gave the administrative update and presented classified staff service awards to indi viduals who

had reached a milestone in their Extension careers The twenty-one individuals recognized with service awards have contributed a total of 390 years of service to Extension in Arkansas

Chi Epsilon Sigma the classified support staff professional association also held its annual meeting at the conference New Chi Epsilon Sigma officers for the 2015-16 year are Rose Dearin (Greene County) President Sandra McGinnis (Lawrence County) President-Elect Johnny Woodley (Facilities Management)

First Vice President Glenda Sutherlin (Union County) Secretary Cecilia Harberson (Howard County)

TreasurerMembership Chair Beverly Brown (Dallas County) Administrative Advisor Karen Collins (Drew County) Annalist District Directors

bull Karen Collins (Drew County) Delta Districtbull Dana Stringfellow (Sevier County) Ouachita Districtbull Christa Littlefield (Franklin County) Ozark Districtbull Pam Ferrill (Print Media Services) LRSO District

FIVE-YEAR SERVICE AWARDS (L to R back row) Kathy Reece Cherie Bradley and Gay Flaherty (L to R front row) Karen Withers Jan Hammond and Dr Windham

TEN-YEAR SERVICE AWARDS (L to R) Susan Tucker Paula Seago and Dr Windham

FIFTEEN-YEAR SERVICE AWARDS (L to R) Cecilia Harberson Kelly Cochran Katie Reddick and Dr Windham

TWENTY-YEAR SERVICE AWARDS (L to R) June Moody Roxie Jones Rebekah Beene and Dr Windham

TWENTY-FIVE YEAR SERVICE AWARDS (L to R) Janet Slate with Dr Windham

THIRTY-YEAR SERVICE AWARDS (L to R) Alta Lockley Sheila Whiteley and Dr Windham

THIRTY-FIVE-YEAR SERVICE AWARDS (L to R) Susan James Debra Schneider and Sharon Treat with Dr Windham

FORTY-YEAR SERVICE AWARD Pat Walters with Dr Windham

5 mdash Blue Letter

Financial Services tips and reminders 1 E-hire 100Trsquos are due to Financial Services no later than June 16 2015

2 Be sure to enter and submit your time or leave report by the stated deadlines Failure to meet the entry deadlines may result in you receiving a paper check for the pay period

3 Employees should review their home address and phone number in Banner Self Service and update as necessary

4 Supervisors should process termination notices as soon as it is known an employee is leaving or retiring Notify Payroll personnel as soon as possible

5 Always check your pay stub to make sure your deductions are correct

6 If you transfer to CES from another state agency be sure to get a prior proof of service form from the agency you are leaving

7 Leave accruals for the period from the 1st day to the 15th day of the month are not available for use until the 16th day of the month Leave accruals for the period from the 16th day to the end of month are not available for use until the 1st day of the following month

Need more information Financial Services Website httpwwwuaexedusupport-unitsfinancial-services Who to Call List httpwwwuaexedusupport-unitsfinancial-serviceswho-to-callaspx

2015 Chi Epsilon Sigma awards Each year Chi Epsilon Sigma offers awards for support

staff members that have done an outstanding job One candidate from each district and one candidate from the Little Rock State Office are chosen Then one candidate is selected from these members deserving of the Overall Support Staff Member of the Year award The Rookie of the Year award is also presented each year to a member of Chi Epsilon Sigma who has been employed with Extension less than one year and nominated by his or her fellow staff members for displaying characteristics exemplary of Extension

Chi Epsilon Sigma met May 14 2015 at the C A Vines Arkansas 4-H Center and presented the following awards

Delta District ndash Burnita Hearne presented the Delta Employee of the Year award to Vicki Huddleston of Lincoln County

Ouachita District ndash Beverly Brown presented the Ouachita Employee of the Year award to Cecilia Harberson of Howard County

Ozark District ndash There was not a nominee from the Ozark District therefore there was not an Employee of the Year award presented

Little Rock State Office ndash Ursula Crow presented the LRSO Employee of the Year award to Laverna Waddell

Beverly Brown presented the Overall Support Staff Member of the Year to Cecilia Harberson who then presented the Rookie of the Year award to Sandra Kirk of Hempstead County

Vicki Huddleston (left) receives the Delta Employee of the Year award from Burnita Hearne

Cecilia Harberson (left) displaying the crown and sash presented to her by Beverly Brown Harberson is the Ouachita Employee of the Year and Overall Support Staff Member of the Year

Sandra McGinnis and Ursula Crow honor Verna Waddell with the LRSO Employee of the Year award (L-R) Sandra McGinnisVerna Waddell Ursula Crow

Cecilia Harberson (left) presents the Rookie of the Year award to Sandra Kirk

6 mdash Blue Letter

7 mdash Blue Letter

BENEFITS ORNERMaternity LeaveMaternity Leave for mothers is treated as any other leave for sickness or disability except that an employeeunable to work because of pregnancy may elect leave of absence without pay without exhausting accumulatedsick andor annual leave

Sick andor annual leave may be used intermittently with LWOP each pay period to create a check largeenough to cover insurance premium payments Time not covered under sick andor annual leave each payperiod will be reported as LWOP

To apply for Maternity Leave forms EBEN 107 and EBEN 231 must be submitted to Human Resources If theabsence is longer than five (5) consecutive days a Certification from your Attending Physician must beprovided to Human Resources Maternity Leave may not extend past three months following delivery and youare required to provide at least two weeksrsquo notice of your planned return to work date

For those eligible for leave under the Family Medical Leave Act Maternity Leave will be counted as FMLA leave

Covered by UMR Sign up for the free Maternity Management Program to receive one-on-one phone calls froma nurse coach free educational materials and information regarding an incentive gift Call 1-866-494-4502for details

Visit Policy at httpuaexeduextension-policiesemployee-benefitsleave-holidayscesp7-13aspx

C

Meet the new employeesCarly BokkerProgram Associate - SoybeansLonoke

bull Whatrsquos your backgroundI worked previously with

Extension from 2004-2009 as aprogram associate and a countyExtension agent I left my position

as an ag Extension agent in 2009 to raise my children forthe past six years

bull What knowledge skills and experience are youbringing to Extension

My previous Extension experience has helped get meoff to a quick start in my new position I am excited tobe back in the field in the profession I truly have apassion for I am by nature a planner and I love toorganize and create systems to make my work dayflow efficiently

bull What are one or two things you would likeyour colleagues to know about you

My mom has called me the flip-flop gardener since Istarted raising vegetable gardens rarely will you seeme in shoes that are close-toed or require socks unless iis below 50 degrees And in the past four years I havesuccessfully run and managed my direct sales businessand my ldquoteamrdquo has grown to one of the largest inArkansas Itrsquos something I enjoy very much and I havebeen blessed to contribute to my household financially aa stay-at-home mom Not only has it contribu ted to myfamily but Irsquove helped countless women change theirfamily finances by teaching them the skills they neededto build their own businesses

bull What would you like to accomplish your firstyear at Extension

I hope to be an asset to Dr Jeremy Rossrsquos crew tocome in to his program and continue moving it in a

t

successful direction So much has changed in the six

s

8 mdash Blue Letter

years I have been gone from the agriculture researchworld and I hope to learn as much as I possibly can tocontinue into the future

bull What brought you to Extension What was itabout Extension that you value

Extension has always been a big part of my hearteven during my hiatus My children have participated in4-H events They are now part of a new cloverbud cluband I am a co-leader I was also a part of an ExtensionHomemakers couponing club in my county I loveExtensionrsquos values and the family atmosphere thisposition brings

bull What are your interests or hobbies outside ofwork

Top priority would be my husband Jake and ourthree children Bradley (6) Caroline (5) and Wesley(1frac12) Together we love to garden fish and go campingIrsquom very involved in my church and with my churchfamily in Hazen where I have attended for nine years Ilove to cook and because of my love of cooking youcan find me at the gym every morning for bootcampat 500 am

Denise BrownAccounts Payable ManagerLittle Rock State Office

bull Whatrsquos your backgroundI have a BS in business

administration with a minor in accounting from UAPB

bull What knowledge skills and experience areyou bringing to Extension

I have previous accounts payable experience I havebeen a manager with DFA for three years and haveworked in audit with DHS and DFA for three years


To be able to learn more about the different areasof Extension so I can successfully perform my job


I was interested in continuing to work in theaccounts payable field

bull What are your interests or hobbies outsideof work

I like to read and paint

Lauren Brownounty Extension Agent - Family

nd Consumer Sciences4-Hnion County

Whatrsquos your backgroundI grew up in Hope Arkansas

y father owns and operates aocal family grocery store where he

CaU

bull

Ml

grows local vegetables when in season I had the oppor-tunity to serve the public while helping in my familyrsquoslocal grocery business I obtained my BS and MSdegrees in family and consumer sciences from theUniversity of Central Arkansas

bull What knowledge skills and experience areyou bringing to Extension I have a strong work ethic While going to college I

had the opportunity to use my experience in cosmetologyto teach children and adults about skin care and makeupI had the experience of serving as an Extension internunder Leigh Helms in Faulkner County


Irsquom a twin and I understand the strong bond offamily Irsquom excited to be a county Extension agentin Union County and am looking forward to thisnew adventure


I want to gain an understanding of all the differentprograms Extension has to offer and build strongrelationships within the county where I work


I love the way that Extension is active in thecommunity I have always wanted to give back to thecommunity and I know that Extension will give methe opportunity to serve


I enjoy spending time with family and friendswatching movies and spending time outdoors

9 mdash Blue Letter

Sheri ColemanAdministrative Specialist Clay County - Corning

bull Whatrsquos your backgroundI was born and raised in

Randolph County I moved to Claycounty in 2009 I worked full timeas a mental health nurse after

graduating college in 2008 I have two childrenMadelynn and Walker Madelynn is 10 years old and iscurrently a state gymnastic champion She is the proudbig sister of Walker Walker will be celebrating his firstbirthday soon My husband is a third generation riceand soybean farmer in Clay County


I am passionate about helping others Whileworking in nursing I held several office positionsI assist my husband in our family farm business


I am the youngest of six children and apparentlymy siblings say Irsquom boss I enjoy volunteering andhelping others


During my first year I would like to learn everything I can about the services we offer ClayCounty residents I would also like to encourage our residents to use our resources and services becausemany of the residents are unaware of our office and theservices we offer


I am happy about the change in pace andenvironment from my previous job I love how inviting Extension staff has been locally and at thestate level


I love my family I come from a very close largefamily and we often have gatherings I have little sparetime I stay busy with my kidrsquos activities I enjoy craftingand trying out Pinterest projects and recipes

JoAnna Cuppounty Extension Agent - Family

nd Consumer Sciencesoinsett County

Whatrsquos your backgroundI have a master of science degree

n nutritiondietetics from theniversity of Central Arkansas

CaP

bull

iU

where I also completed a dietetic internship I am a regis-tered dietitian who has spent the last nine years as aclinical and outpatient dietitian I also taught a basicnutrition college class for one semester


My previous job experiences have equipped mewith a wealth of knowledge and skills to work withothers I pride myself in having a strong work ethic andbeing passionate about helping others


I am a proud farmerrsquos daughter who grew upworking on the farm I also love beach vacations


During my first year I would like to learn as muchas possible about Extension as well as Poinsett Countyand how to best serve the residents


I was seeking employment outside the hospitalsetting Extension is valuable to me because I am ableto educate others on living a healthy life I also valuethe purpose of Extension


I love exercising cooking and spending timewith family

10 mdash Blue Letter

Kim KrummelEFNEP Program Assistant Washington County

bull Whatrsquos your backgroundI worked in the restaurant

business when I was in school Itaught kindergarten for eight years inKansas City and was director of

Youth Ministries in Fayetteville for 15 years


I have worked with and have connected with peoplein our community for several years especially withnonprofit programs I have a love for service andhelping people My previous job experiences haveequipped me to teach others both young and old lifeskills that will help enrich their lives


My husband works at the Walmart home office myson works for Walmart transportation and is in theArkansas National Guard and my daughter will besenior in high school I also have a coonhound aSiberian husky and a six-toed kitty cat


To be educated on the latest nutrition and healthyguidelines and to provide that information to asmany people as I can to be help them be healthy andbe active To give children a head start on foodnutrition and cooking healthy


I have seen Extension and different programs theyoffer in action in our community at no cost I wasseeking employment and was very excited when Ilearned more about the position and met the staff


Being involved in my childrenrsquos lives motorcycletrips in Arkansas and across the country with myhusband and friends camping and canoeing photography flower gardening and love to read

Cathy LoveEFNEP Program Assistant Benton County

bull Whatrsquos your backgroundI grew up in southwest Missouri

and was an active 4-Her I have abachelorrsquos degree in homeeconomics and a masterrsquos in

clothing and textiles My husband and I have worked inChristian ministry for many years and moved toArkansas 10 years ago to serve in a NWA church


I have been a high school home economics teacherMissouri Extension clothing and textiles specialistchildrenrsquos ministry assistant and a wife and mom


I love to learn new things and would much ratherhear about you and your life and work than to tellabout myself


Benton County has not had EFNEP available to theEnglish-speaking population so my main goal is tomake as many agencies and people aware of the nutri -tion education opportunity that is now available forthem as I can


I enjoyed working for Extension before and believein its mission I appreciate that we can offer solidresearch-based information in a practical and usableway to the general public


I like to work in our garden try new recipes hikewith my husband shop with my daughter read anddo just about any of the needle arts


Lauren MilumAdministrative SpecialistMarion County

bull Whatrsquos your backgroundI am originally from outside of

St Louis In high school I playedvolleyball basketball and golf formy high school team In 2013 I

graduated from the College of the Ozarks in PointLookout Missouri where I earned a bachelor ofscience degree double majoring in allied health inter-disciplinary (pre-physical therapy) and animal scienceAfter graduation I went to work for the University ofArkansas Division of Agriculture Swine Research Farmin Fayetteville where I was the assistant farm managerAt the Swine Research Farm I managed studentworkers maintained swine herd health kept farmrecords entered data for research trials performedgeneral maintenance AI breeding hog sales feedorders and much more


At College of the Ozarks students are able to workfor the cost of their tuition The school is very dedicatedto teaching students responsibility and having a goodwork ethic At the college I worked in a few differentwork stations including the dairy farm agriculture labassistant agriculture department secretary and the hogfarm I learned a lot of valuable skills with my past workand educational experience including time managementorganization preciseness of records communicationproblem solving team work and many more


I am looking forward to starting on masterrsquos degreeprogram through U of A this fall I plan to get mydegree in agricultural and Extension education It is mygoal to become an agent in my local area I am inter-ested in both agriculture and family consumer scienceExtension areas


I would like to learn about all of the programsoffered through the Extension Service so I can helppromote them in my community


I really enjoyed working at the University ofArkansas Swine Research Farm and being a part of the

U of A community Having that experience brought meto Extension I love being able to help otherstherefore I truly value and believe in what Extensionis about helping and educating others to improve theirquality of life and well-being


Farming photography horseback riding huntingfishing scrapbooking woodturning hiking campingand basically anything outdoors

Jerrie NelsonEFNEP Program AssistantCraighead County

bull Whatrsquos your backgroundI was in the Navy for a few

years and then became a stay-at-home mom for seven years I wentback into the work field as anadministrative assistantpayroll

manager and then advanced to program manager beforecoming to the Extension office


I do have some knowledge about child nutritionfrom my previous job and went through a food safetycourse for it as well


I am a dedicated hard worker who loves to learnand I love a good challenge


I am not really sure what I would like to accomplish my first year I am loving my job becauseI work with a great team who are very supportive and always have a helping hand


I honestly had never heard of Extension until thisjob Now that I have discovered it and its wealth ofresources for so many different people I am spread ingthe word and making sure everyone knows about us


Outside of work I love to spend time with my familyas well as my fur babies I also enjoy working in the yardgardening and doing various types of crafting projects


Mary PolingCoordinator for InteractiveCommunicationsIT Department Little RockState Office

bull Whatrsquos your backgroundThe background I bring to

Extension includes Growing up ona farm I was a 4-H member My projects included beefcattle flower gardening sewing and cooking I served assummer camp director for one of the district 4-H campsin Illinois I worked as a county 4-H agent in Illinois for7frac12 years and served as the president of the Illinois 4-Hagentsrsquo association during that time After moving to Ohioso I could see better football games I worked as anadmissions counselor for the College of Agriculture atThe Ohio State University As a part-time employee herein Arkansas I have been working as a SNAP-Ed andAIMS user support manager for the past 12 years


All of these experiences have helped me understandthe important roles Extension can play in the lives of ourclientele and communities and how I can be a part ofthat They also have all involved working with peopleboth in groups and individually which is what Extensionwork is all about I enjoy working with people andhelping them learn new things and solve problemsWhen you can do that you make the other person happyand you get that good feeling yourself


I am one of 11 children so I am used to beingaround crowds One of my younger brothers showedhogs at the county fair and competed against ArkansasCoach Bret Bielema who grew up just down the road abit from my hometown I met my husband at a regionalExtension professional association officersrsquo conference inOmaha Nebraska He was an associ ation officer in Ohioand I was one in Illinois The temperatures in Omahawere sub-zero during the conference he asked me todance and as they say the rest is history


During my first year as the coordinator for interactivecommunications I hope to be able to provide employeesthe support and resources they need to be effective intheir use of Zoom I am a visual person so I really likethe visual capability that Zoom brings to online meetingsand I am passionate about helping people connect withand get the resources they need to do their job


Throughout my life I have been connected withExtension as a clientrecipient of Extension programsgrowing up in Illinois as an employee (both in Illinoisand Arkansas) and as a spouse of a long-time Extensionemployee I value the three-fold purposesconnections ofthe Land Grant university


I enjoy trout fishing with my husband followingwhichever sports team our son is associated with(especially if the team is in a warm vacation-friendlypart of the country) traveling and visiting family experimenting with new recipes yoga and walking

Rachel WillAdministrative SpecialistJefferson County

bull Whatrsquos your backgroundI am originally from Rison

Arkansas I recently graduatedSoutheast Arkansas College with aAA degree in general studies I

currently attend Arkansas Tech University online were Iwill receive my bachelorrsquos degree in early childhoodeducation P-4


The knowledge skills and experience that I ambringing to the Extension office will be my hard workdedication and my expertise with computers


I am a hard worker and I can get the job done in anaccurate time


I would like to accomplish the ropes and the hangof all of the things that the Extension office has to offer


I am fresh out of college and I was seeking full-time employment I value the loyalty and the years thatthe Extension office has been around


Spending time with my family and friends

Grants and contracts for the month ended May 31 2015

Project Title

Award

Amount

Principal

Investigator Granting Agency

Rice Enterprise Budgets and Production Economic Analysis $ 10000 Archie Flanders Rice Research Promotion Board

Team Approach to Weed Management in Soybean 65723 Bob Scott Soybean Promotion Board

Weed Management in Rice 104480 Bob Scott Rice Research Promotion Board

Flag the Technology GPSGIS Support 25000 Dharmendra Saraswat Soybean Promotion Board

Improving Yield and Yield Stability for Irrigated Soybeans 4584 Dharmendra Saraswat Soybean Promotion Board

Promoting the Use of Multiple Inlet and Evaluating Intermittent Flood Potential in Arkansas

15563 Dharmendra Saraswat Rice Research Promotion Board

Mobile Rice App for DD50 Program and Calculators 10000 Dharmendra Saraswat Rice Research Promotion Board

Spring 2015 SARENACAA Fellows Seminar 9021 Elena Garcia University of Wyoming

Developing a New Threshold for Corn Earworm Helicoverpa Zea

5339 Glenn Studebaker Soybean Promotion Board

Sugarcane Aphid Research 12333 Glenn Studebaker United Sorghum Checkoff Program Board

Determining the Impact of Common Pesticide Applications When Applied to Southern Row Crops on Managed Honey Bee Health

40000 Gus Lorenz USDA ARS MSA

Educating Growers and Consultants on Insect Monitoring and Control

5000 Gus Lorenz Soybean Promotion Board

Fire Ant Control in Soybean 4687 Gus Lorenz Soybean Promotion Board

Investigating Emerging Production Recommendations for Sustainable Soybean Production




Evaluation of Automatic Applications on Profitability of Soybean Production


Rice Insect Control 42614 Gus Lorenz Rice Research Promotion Board

Eco-System 42416 Gus Lorenz Rice Research Promotion Board

Potential Exposure of Honey Bees to Insecticides in Rice 20000 Gus Lorenz Rice Research Promotion Board

Sugarcane Aphid Research 12379 Gus Lorenz United Sorghum Checkoff Program Board


Rice Verification 179599 Jarrod Hardke Rice Research Promotion Board

Arkansas Rice Performance Trials 76400 Jarrod Hardke Rice Research Promotion Board

Continuation of the DD50 Program to Include Seeding Date Affect on Grain Yield and Develoment of New Cultivars

72731 Jarrod Hardke Rice Research Promotion Board

Cont page 14


Grants and contracts (cont)

Project Title

Award

Amount

Principal


Agronomic Production Practices for Rice 128338 Jarrod Hardke Rice Research Promotion Board



Understanding Autumn Decline - H2S Pathology 2000 Jarrod Hardke Rice Research Promotion Board

Exploring Potential of Corn Wheat Soybean Rotation in Arkansas

20000 Jason Kelley Soybean Promotion Board

Understanding Autum Decline - H2S Pathology 1500 Jason Kelley Rice Research Promotion Board


44511 Jeremy Ross Soybean Promotion Board

Soybean Research Verification Program 150000 Jeremy Ross Soybean Promotion Board

Improving Technology Transfer for Profitable and Sustainable Soybean Production


Development of an Online Course - Future of Biotechnology Crops 9000 Julie Robinson Soybean Promotion Board

Soybean Challenge 60000 Karen Ballard Soybean Promotion Board

Fire Ant Control in Soybean 689 Kelly Loftin Soybean Promotion Board


Personal Finance Education at Rich Smith Development Properties

7500 Laura Connerly Family Service Agency Inc

Improving Yield and Yield Stability for Irrigated Soybeans 25180 Leo Espinoza Soybean Promotion Board

Arkansas Discovery Farm Program Addressing Sustainable Water Issues Associated with Crop Production

17000 Michael Daniels Soybean Promotion Board


5339 Nick Seiter Soybean Promotion Board

Sugarcane Aphid Research 24667 Nick Seiter United Sorghum Checkoff Program Board

4-H Shooting Sports - Range Events 26450 Rex Roberg NRA Foundation

Improving Germination Rate of Soybean Seed Dried Using Recently-Introduced In-Bin Drying Systems

1000 Samy Sadaka Soybean Promotion Board

Prevention of Mycotoxin Development and Quality Degradation in Rice During On-Farm In-Bin Drying and Storage

1000 Samy Sadaka Rice Research Promotion Board

Foliar Disease Management in Full- and Double-Crop Soybean Production Systems in Arkansas

18000 Terry Spurlock Soybean Promotion Board

Application Technology Demonstration and Education Program for Arkansas Crops

40000 Tom Barber Soybean Promotion Board

Team Approach to Weed Management in Soybean 42341 Tom Barber Soybean Promotion Board

A Team Approach to Improved Weed Management in Rice 94694 Tom Barber Rice Research Promotion Board

Application Technology Demonstration Program 9987 Tom Barber Rice Research Promotion Board

Integrated Management of Nematodes 20490 Travis Faske Soybean Promotion Board

Cont page 15



Project Title

Award

Amount

Principal


Development of an Effective Program to Manage Strobilurin-Resistant Frogeye Leaf Spot in Arkansas 18997 Travis Faske Soybean Promotion Board

Using Spatial Distribution and Colonization of Rhizoctonia Solani AG1-IA for the Precision Management of Aerial Blight of Soybean 7890 Travis Faske Soybean Promotion Board

Comprehensive Disease Screening of Soybean Varieties in Arkansas 57310 Travis Faske Soybean Promotion Board

Evaluation of Automatic Applications on Profitability of Soybean Production 10000 Travis Faske Soybean Promotion Board

Rice Breeding Program Pathology Tech Support 10162 Yeshi Wamishe Rice Research Promotion Board

Development of Practical Diagnostic Methods for Monitoring Rice Bacterial Panicle Blight Diseases and Evaluate Rice Germplasm for Resistance 62000 Yeshi Wamishe Rice Research Promotion Board

Development of Short Term Control for Bacterial Pancile 67879 Yeshi Wamishe Rice Research Promotion Board

Understanding Autumn Decline - H2S Pathology 20858 Yeshi Wamishe Rice Research Promotion Board

Total New Awards for May 2015 $1862845

Personnel changes

Please welcome the following

Denise Brown Accounts Payable Manager Financial Services effective April 20 2015

JoAnna Cupp County Extension Agent - Family and Consumer Sciences Poinsett County effective May 1 2015

Cathy Love Program Assistant - EFNEP Benton County effective April 20 2015

Clark Moore Program Tech - Weed Science Crop Soil and Environmental Sciences effective April 16 2015

Mary Poling Coordinator for Interactive Communications Office of Information Technology effective April 16 2015

Phyllis Scurlock Fiscal Support Specialist Credit Union effective April 16 2015

The Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service offers its programs to all eligible persons regardless of race color sex gender identity sexual orientation national origin religion age disability marital or veteran status genetic information or any other legally protected status and is an Affirmative ActionEqual Opportunity Employer

Lacy Drive 4-H Community Garden Initiative

The Jackson County Lacy Drive 4-H Club worked long and hard to decide on a community service project that will benefit the community where they live and chose to plant a community garden utilizing pallets to grow vegetables and flowers for the residents at the local Housing Authority in Newport Club members received donations from a local nursery to start their project Their goal is for Housing Authority residents to have access to fresh vegetables all summer

At work on the pallet garden at the Newport Housing Authority left to right Daveon Friar (planting vegetable) Malik Rucker Eli Alcorn Brendon Curry Isaiah Kendall DJ Friar (planting vegetable)Andrez Mallory and Kevin Friar

ExCEL corporate challenge Five businesses traded spreadsheets and reports for

archery and water balloons in a one-of-a-kind-corporate challenge at the Vines 4-H Center that left contestants with smiles and maybe a little weekend warrior soreness

For one morning in May corporate competition went outside to play as five teams took on the ExCEL challenge around the lake at the Vines 4-H Center

The winner of this inaugural corporate challenge wasarm Credit of Western Arkansas

ldquoWe have a great team here at Farm Credit Services nd the small group that participated was no exceptionrdquo aid Clay Lance assistant vice president for Farm Credit Everyone chipped in where they could and we all njoyed the day out of the officerdquo ext Year

Luke Nipper ExCEL coordinator for the University of rkansas System Division of Agriculture said the teams njoyed the outing

ldquoOne of the participants came up to me afterwards nd shared with me how much everyone on his team was ngaged with the activities and the team the entire timerdquo e said ldquoThe teams asked if wersquore planning to do the vent next year Wersquoll definitely do the event next year opefully with more teamsrdquo

F

asldquoeN

Ae

aeheh

The day after the competition Heather Savage vice president - Human Resources for Arkansas Federal Credit Union admitted to moving a little slower than usual but also said ldquobattle scars are awesomerdquo She told Nipper she was ready to field a team for the next year

FLOOD WATERS continued from page 1 Ranchers are moving cattle and equipment to higher groundAt 36 feet record flooding occurs All establishments and residences should be completely evacuated

The last major flood in this area was in 1990 where flood levels were at 3442 feet Thousands were forced from their homes near the Arkansas Red and Trinity rivers in Arkansas Texas and Oklahoma Thousands of cattle were drowned or stranded and thousands of acres were flooded This caused millions of dollarsrsquo worth of damage This yearrsquos flood is predicted to be close to or as bad

as 1990 Revisiting the flood of 1990 in Texarkana

Whatrsquos new in publications Find out at httpwwwuaexedupublicationsnewaspx

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Documents

RESEARCH & EXTENSIONWith 70 concurrent session workshops, seven mobile workshops, posters presentations, a panel of federal partners and four fast-paced “ignite” presentations,